Peter's Stuttering
by Skye Coulson
Summary: GRIFFIN/PETER SLASH!  There, you have been warned!  Peter and Griffin start dating and Griffin catches Peter cheating on him.  Griffin and his best friend plot their revenge but how far is too far?


Stuttering

**Disclaimer:  
**I own nothing with the exception of Shae, Annie, & August Wilcox. And of course the ideas in this fic are mine. Unless there's another fic like this out there that I don't know about in which case, sorry. I'm really not trying to steal your ideas!

**Rating:  
**T (just to be safe)

**Genre:  
**Romance/Drama (and knowing me, don't be surprised if there's a little angst thrown into the mix)

**Pairing:  
**Griffin/Peter (Greter?)

* * *

Tell the Truth, Give it Up

_So, you excited for the big date?  
Shae Wilcox_

_It's not a date! Grace's just introducing me to someone!  
Griffin Anderson_

_Whatever! Most people call that a "blind date", Griffin!  
Shae Wilcox_

_If he and I were going out, alone, THEN it would be a date! As it is, we're just hanging out at Grace's house with her and Grant! Therefore...not a date!  
Griffin Anderson_

_Well, date or no date, you never did answer my question.  
Shae Wilcox_

_I wasn't aware you had asked one. ;-)  
Griffin Anderson_

_GRIFFIN CHRISTOPHER!  
Shae Wilcox_

_ROLFMAO! You know I can never resist getting you all worked up when just make it so EASY! And, yes, I am excited. ... And nervous as hell...  
Griffin Anderson_

_Why so nervous?  
Shae Wilcox_

_What if he's in the closet and doesn't wanna come out? Or what if I'm really into him and he's not into me?  
Griffin Anderson_

_What if he's already out? What if he IS into you? Life is FULL of "what if"s, Griffin! Like WHAT IF you let them all psyche you out and you end up missing the chance to have something like what I have with Gage? You've been rejected before: you can handle it! As per the closet issue, just give 'im a chance. Maybe you'll be the guy to make him WANT to come out!  
Shae Wilcox_

_You're right.  
Griffin Anderson_

_Of course I am!  
Shae Wilcox_

_LOL! No self-esteem issues, there! Listen, Grant's here. Wish me luck!  
Griffin Anderson_

_You don't need it, but, good luck!  
Shae Wilcox_

Slipping his phone into his pocket, Griffin met his cousin at the door. During the drive to Grace's house, all he could think about were all the "what if"s that he had discussed with Shae. _"Life if FULL of 'what if's." _His best friend's advice kept replaying over in his mind. _"Just go for it."_ With a final steadying breath, Griffin had made up his mind as Grant pulled up to Grace's house.

"I _really _hope you like Peter. He's kind of like me. He's a christian but he likes to have fun." Grace appeared to be as nervous as Griffin was about introducing him to her friend. Sure, Griffin had his doubts, but, he was soon snapped out of his thoughts when the conversation turned toward his cousin.

"So. What do you like to do for fun, Grant?" Grace asked Grant. Her face alight with a friendly albeit timid expression which almost appeared to be seeking his approval.

"Oh...I don't know..." Grant seemed even more timid than Grace was as he lowered his head, looking for a witty response to Grace's question. Griffin can't help stepping to help his cousin out.

"He's an excellent chess player. He's also a competitive skier _and _swimmer. He's a pretty good dancer. He's got great teeth." Griffin paused to pose Grant's mouth open to demonstrate his point about Grant's oral health. "No cavities."

"Maybe one filling." Grant interrupted, smiling slightly. Griffin was happy to see Grant and Grace getting along.

Grace chuckled as she replied "Well, you do have really nice teeth."

Grace and Grant exchanged smiles as Grant replied "Thank you. So do you." Griffin couldn't stop the smug grin spreading across his face as Grace and his cousin continued to flirt back and forth.

Grace smiled as she replied "Thank you. I had braces but just for a year or two." Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, she asked "So, you play chess?"

Grant nodded as he replied "Yep. You play chess?"

Nodding, Grace replied "Yep. My dad taught me." Her own smug grin spread across her face as she added "And, I also like to swim. And, I'm not a bad skier..."

Grant was clearly getting comfortable in the sutation as he replied "No kidding?" with a smile spreading across his face.

"So...I did pretty good, huh?" Griffin interrupted, smiling proudly at the match he had made with Grace and his cousin.

Grace just chuckled and was interrupted when the doorbell rang. "Let's see how _I _did. I _really _hope you like this guy!" She said, as she hurried off to answer the door.

Following her with his eyes, Griffin added "Me, too." under his breath as he turned to face the door. Anxiously awaiting his match, Griffin steadied himself with a deep breath and just waited to see who Grace had paired him off with.

"She's hot! How come she doesn't have a boyfriend?" Grant's remark caught Griffin off guard.

Shrugging his shoulders, Griffin replied "I don't know."

"Who'd she have sex with? What happened to him?" Grant demanded. He was clearly obssessed with learning as much as he possibly could about Grace's previous sex life.

"I'll let her tell you that." Griffin dismissed his cousin's demand as politley as he could. He was snapped out of that train of thought when Grace walked back in with his...date? Looking the guy over, Griffin's initial impression was that he was quite attractive. He was tall with a fairly fit build-not exactly muscular, just fit. His shoulders were broad and his hair was a dark chocolate brown and complimented his brilliant eyes. Griffin felt an immediate physical attraction. _I could see myself with a guy like that. _Griffin thought to himself.

"Griffin. Nice to meet you." Griffin decided to take the first step and smiled warmly as he introduced himself to the man Grace had picked out for him.

"This is Peter." Grace gestured to the match she had set up for Griffin with a light touch of the arm before motioning to Griffin's cousin. "And, this is Griffin's cousin, Grant." Grace smiled at everyone as she finished her introductions. Grant greeted Peter with nothing more than a simple raise of the eyebrows.

"Hi." Peter replied, shaking both Grant and Griffin's hands. There was a brief, awkward silence before Peter turned to Grace and asked "Are we missin' someone?"

"What?" Grace asked, surprised. That wasn't the reaction she had hoped for.

"Oops! Red flag on the plate." Griffin mutterd under his breath.

"'Are we missing anybody?'" Grace repeated, surprised. "No, I don't think we're missing anybody." She shook her head in the negative.

"Grace, I think that Peter's trying to figure out who he's supposed to be with." Griffin explained, trying to shed a little light on his own personal suspicions.

"Oh! You're supposed to be with Griffin." She began, as if it was all so simple. "And Grant is with me." She paused a moment to exchange timid smiles with Grant. "'Cause Grant is straight, like me. And, Griffin is not." She made it all sound so simple. "Like..."

"Well, not like me. I'm-I'm straight." Peter was quick to interject that he was not gay. _Defensively so, if I must say. _Griffin thought to himself.

"Oh." Was all Grace could say. Looking around the room, the situation finally hit her. "Oh!"

"That's too bad." Griffin offered, trying to relieve a little pressure off of his friend. "But, hey. We can all be friends, right?" He suggested, trying to lighten the awkward tension in the room.

"Sure!" Peter replied, jumping at the chance to re-iterate his heterosexuatlity. "I got nothin' against gay guys. I'm just-I'm not one of 'em."

Griffin's face fell slightly, in disappointment. _Just once...Why can't I meet a nice, good looking guy that doesn't have a problem with admitting what he is. I _really _wanted this to work._ Griffin didn't understand what he was feeling, entirely. He was disappointed, sure. But, there was something else he couldn't quite put his finger on. Then, something hit him. _Wait a minute...I know this guy. He's at Ed's every Thursday-on gay night._ That realization confirmed what he had suspected all along. _So, he is gay. ... This is exactly what I was afraid of. In the closet and unwilling to come out. Damn!_

"Sorry." Grace offered, pathetically. It was clear, by the look on her face, that she was horribly embarassed by the whole situation.

"Well, maybe you two should just go home and Grace and I'll just hang out." Grant was probably being serious, but, Griffin was grateful for the opportunity for a little comic relief.

Forcing a light hearted chuckle, he replied "Oh, thanks, Grant! But, I'm hungry!"

"Yeah, me, too!" Peter joined in the conversation, trying to help lighten the mood.

Smiling in relief, Grace replied "Okay, then, well let's eat!"

"And, then, you two can go home." Grant added.

"Yeah, they can." Grace chuckled.

The rest of the evening went fairly smoothly, given the circumstances under which it had begun. Peter and Griffin spent most of the evening discussing school and their friends. Grace and Grant spent the evening flirting. All in all, it was okay. After they had finished eating, Griffin excused himself.

"Well, if it's all right with everyone else, I think I'll just go wait by the car." Grace and Grant just waved him off, dismissively, too wrapped up in their own conversation to worry much about Griffin. As he made a discreet exit, Griffin hadn't noticed a pair of intense eyes following him out the door.

Leaning against the car, Griffin had been lost in thought when he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. "How long you think he'll stick around?" Peter asked.

Without turning to face Peter, Griffin replied "Longer the better. I don't mind waiting. I'd love it if Grace was interested in him and he was interested in her. They're both nice people." He explained, simply.

"Yeah." Peter replied. "Yeah, I'd love it if Grace were interested in me and, ya know, I was interested in her." He added, nervously. After a brief pause, Peter continued on. "Hey, ahh...Thanks for not saying anything."

"I don't know anything." Griffin added, all too innocently, finally turning his head to face Peter.

Pushing himself off the car, Peter turned to fully face Griffin. "Come on, I know you recognize me." When Griffin didn't respond, Peter added "I recognize you." Peter had a look in his eyes that Griffin hadn't seen before. His face had softened and relaxed. "I see you at Ed's on Thursday nights."

"Gay nights? You're at Ed's on gay nights? I didn't know." Though he acted innocent, Griffin's face broke out into a victorious grin.

"You knew." Peter insisted.

"So what?" Griffin conceeded. "It doesn't mean you're gay. Guys who aren't gay come in with friends...I guess...Sometimes..."

"Well, I can't come out. I can't. It would kill my father." Peter replied, slightly panicked.

"He could surprise you." Griffin tried to gently reassure him.

"No." Peter insisted. "No...Believe me. I'd be the one surprising him." He paused briefly before pressing on. "I can't. I can't do it."

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that." Griffin's face fell again as his voice came out slightly choked. "Well, I'm sure it's uh...I'm sure that's really painful."

"Yeah." Peter replied flatly.

"Well, I can't help you. I mean, I-I don't know what to say. You should probably talk to a counselor." Griffin replied. "Well, I could do that for you. I know someone."

"All right." Peter replied, hopefully. "Yeah, I-I gues that might help." He paused briefly. "I don't know."

A brief, slightly awkward silence fell between the two men. Finally, Peter broke the silence. "How'd she know? How did Grace know? What made her think I was gay?"

Shrugging, Griffin replied "I have no idea. Strong gay-dar?" He offered.

They shared a laugh before Peter replied "Yeah, whatever." Another brief silence fell between the pair before he added. "It was really nice meeting you."

Griffin nodded his silent agreement.

"And, I uuuhhh...I hope I get to see you again." Peter finished, with a hopeful smile on his face.

Pulling a small piece of paper frm his jacket, Griffin smiled back as he replied "All right, well, uh...If you ever come out and want to _go _out...Gimme a call." Griffin smiled as he handed the paper to Peter who smiled as he took it.

As the front door opened, Peter and Griffin exchanged one last smile as Peter made his exit. Griffin's head cocked to the side, wondering what would happen, next, with Peter. He hoped Peter would get past his fear of coming out and would call him.

When Grant approached Griffin at the car, Griffin asked "That's as much time alone as you could get with her?" He was slightly surprised. He had hoped that Grant would have stayed in there, longer.

"Yeah, I tried. Some guy who lives in the guest house came in and I wasn't gonna wait around all night just to try to kiss her." Grant explained, simply.

"But, you _want _to kiss her?" Griffin replied, slyly.

"I might wanna kiss her. She's kissable." Grant replied, smiling.

"What guy in the guest house?" Griffin asked, idly.

"Jack?" Grant replied, unsure.

Griffin's face turned to an expression of pure shock. One that clearly answered Grant's question from earlier in the evening.

"Ah, no! Really?" Grant asked. After a moment, he and Griffin got back in the car to leave.

As he got in the car, Griffin replayed his conversation with Peter back in his mind. he sincerely hoped that Peter _would _call. _I think I might really like this guy!_


End file.
